South African news today: Your headlines in five minutes for Thursday 1 November

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 02: Nicholas Ninow, accused of raping a 7-year-old child appears at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on October 02, 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa. Ninow, 20, allegedly raped a 7-year-old girl in the bathroom of Dros restaurant on September 22. The case was postponed to November 01, 2018 and the suspect remains in custody. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Thulani Mbele)

It’s a huge day of criminal intrigue on Thursday, as high-profile cases dominate the South African news today agenda. We’ve got the latest on Nicholas Ninow, plus more about Gigaba and Vlakfontein.

Vlakfontein killer

We went on the hunt to see what we could find out about the man behind the Vlakfontein killings. Sibusiso Khoza went missing from the suburb for years, after being accused of theft and criminal activity. However, his return would prove tragic. You can read our profile on him here.

Pete Mihalik’s murderers on trial

Two men suspected of killing high-profile lawyer Pete Mihalik will face court on Thursday morning. The pair, aged 26 and 31, were arrested on Tuesday and charged 24 hours later.

It’s a lock-in!

Frustrated with the uncertainty over their futures and unpaid salaries, VBS workers in West Rand locked the mayor and councillors inside the municipal chambers, calling on them to come up with a solution. The officials were eventually released, but it remains unclear if they met the protesters’ demands.
[Read more:EWN]

Dollar to rand value for 1 November

Our currency will start the month at R14.72. This follows a tumultuous October, where the ZAR has fluctuated from R14.08 to R14.96. Unfortunately, it’s now closer to the R15 mark again.